Obama To Senate Democrats: Delay More Sanctions On Iran

The president knows we are at a sensitive time in our relationship with Iran and is asking the Senate to delay imposing further sanctions; but Senate Democrats may not be receptive.

The Senate Banking Committee had been expected to introduce new sanctions legislation next Tuesday and mark it up next Thursday, a Senate aide told The Hill. That timeframe is now in doubt after administration officials urged top staffers on the banking and foreign relations panels to hold off during a meeting at the White House on Thursday…

The White House request leaves Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the chairmen of the Foreign Relations and Banking committees, Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), with a tough choice. The White House wants more time to negotiate with Iran over its nuclear program, but Senate Democrats are under pressure to quickly adopt new sanctions that are expected to target Iran’s oil sector and foreign currency reserves.